


home is where our hearts reside

by shacchi (Shana_Nakazawa)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Koga's Pollen Allergy, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sick Koga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11395980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shana_Nakazawa/pseuds/shacchi
Summary: Koga is down with a fever from his pollen allergy, and Rei decides to take matters into his hands and make sure his junior takes care of himself. Surely nothing can go wrong.(Except, when there are feelings involved.)





	home is where our hearts reside

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction, and everything described here doesn't represent the characters in canon and my view on real life issues.

“Achoo!”

Koga rubs his nose irritably. A quick glance at the mirror tells him how red it has become. He truly hates his pollen allergy. Despite having taken his medicine already, it seems that this year’s pollen season is more than what his immunity can handle. If it isn’t for the Vocal test by Kunugi-sensei, Koga would rather stay at home.

A couple more sneezes later, Koga is standing in front of the Light Music Club room. The usual silence welcomes him. His sense of smell is weakened due to his congested nose, but he figures Rei is sleeping in his coffin, as usual.

Koga sets his bag on one of the chairs. His fingers itch for his electric guitar. At least it’ll distract him from his current condition. Before he can reach for it, though, his eyes catch the sight of papers scattered on the table. A couple of them even end up on the floor. Koga grumbles about how lazy that vampire bastard is and picks those papers up.

“What’s this?” Koga mumbles to himself, squinting to read the words written on the papers. “Club form?”

Koga absentmindedly pulls a chair from behind him and sits there. He rearranges the papers on the table. The thought of playing his guitar vanishes suddenly.

The further Koga reads, the deeper his frown becomes. He grouses, “That damn vampire bastard, postponing the form until this late. I wonder why Isara hasn’t pestered him about it.”

Koga glances at his senior’s coffin, then at the clock. Rei isn’t going to wake up for another two hours, and Koga is certain his useless leader is going to skip right to practice. There have been more than just one circumstances where the student council even nagged _him_ for something his leader should’ve done.

With a resigned sigh, Koga gets a pen from his bag and starts filling those forms. Thankfully, he’s helped Rei before—if standing by his side and yelling at him while Rei does the form constitutes as help, that is.

Well, that is fine. Nobody gives Koga enough credit for how observant he actually is.

Problem still arises, though. Just because he knows how to get it done, doesn’t mean it goes smoothly. There are some things that only Rei knows. The club’s finance isn’t exactly what Koga’s interested in knowing. He tries his best to fill the details for things he knows—Koga knows the student council will give Rei hell even for a single vague information—and leaves the things he doesn’t know to Rei. It _is_ his job, after all.

The club form includes three sheets of club information and an attachment. By the time he’s nearly done, his head is already pounding. He’s tempted to just stuff his nose with tissue before he gets his snot all over the documents. He actually had to put on a mask halfway through the document after a coughing fit that lasted too long for his liking.

Once the club form is done, he finds that there’s still another two more papers about UNDEAD and 2wink’s participation in the upcoming DreFes. “Come on!” Koga groans loudly and throws his head back. He regrets it immediately.

“Excuse us~!” the Aoi twins cheer while entering the room. Koga usually gets annoyed by their loud voice, but this time it’s grating. It definitely doesn’t help with his headache.

“Can you two keep it down a bit?” he growls, pointing his pen at the twin.

“Sorry~!” they reply, and—yeah, totally not helping the headache. Koga wants to throw up. Literally.

Hinata is the first to notice. “Oogami-senpai, are you okay? You look sick,” he asks worriedly.

“Allergy. It’ll pass. So shush, okay!” Koga warns them.

Hinata and Yuuta mime zipping their mouths shut and grin. Satisfied, Koga turns back to his papers. He continues filling the form for UNDEAD while the twins play with their instrument.

“What’s that?” Hinata suddenly pops out beside Koga, almost stopping the older boy’ heart.

“Holy fuck,” Koga curses, “don’t surprise me like that!”

Hinata apologizes and grins cheekily. He peeks at his senior’s papers again. “Ah, unit participation? Isn’t that Sakuma-senpai’s job?”

“He won’t do it if his life depends on it. I’d rather do it now than have the damn student council tailing my ass later,” Koga replies without taking his eyes off his work. “Ah, you guys have one too. The deadline’s in two days so better do it now.”

“Eeehh?” Hinata whines as Koga hands him 2wink’s piece of paper. “Noo, it’s so troublesome. Yuuta-kun, do it for me!”

“I can’t hear you, Aniki!” Yuuta replies, cranking his key-tar louder in response.

Koga glares at him before he lowers the sound again, smiling apologetically. It doesn’t stop Hinata from complaining, though. Koga’s head can’t tolerate more of his high-pitched voice anymore, so he slams his pen down and exhales loudly. “Fine, I’ll help you once I’m done, so shut yer trap already!”

“Yay! Oogami-senpai is the best!” the twins cheer simultaneously. Koga tells them to be quiet once again, and this time they obey. Koga finishes UNDEAD’s form quickly, not willing to subject himself to the torture any longer.

“Come on, you better sit your ass here and get this over with.” Koga gestures at the empty spot beside him. Hinata pulls a chair next to him while Yuuta watches by the table in interest.

“So these are the basics: unit name, members, things like that. This is the column for your latest DreFes grades. I guess they’re gonna place units with higher grades in more strategic locations. This one’s for your DreFes theme. You gotta describe it properly, though; like, the general theme, what the deco’s gonna be, how your costume’s gonna be. The ‘Preparation’ column is for you to elaborate about the theme. Basically like who’s gonna do the deco and make your costume, and if needed, what the student council can do to help. This here is the funding. It’s pretty obvious, yeah? And the last one is not compulsory, it’s just some notes of things you wanna say to the student council,” says Koga.

Just as he finishes explaining, a wave of nausea hits him. He covers his mouth and coughs, willing his stomach to calm down. The Aoi twins are looking at him with increasing worry, but Koga shakes his head to tell them that he’s fine. He’s definitely going to have to take his medicine soon, though.

“Senpai, do you need to go to the infirmary? You look really pale, you know,” Yuuta offers. Hinata nods in agreement.

A tamer wave of nausea rolls, and Koga needs to take a second before answering, “Nah, I’m just gonna take my med.” It seems to only worry his juniors even more, though. He tells them to just hurry and finish filling the form.

Koga stands up to get to his bag, but his legs wobble beneath him and sends him on his knees. Naturally, the twins rush over to his side in panic. Koga barely registers hands helping him sit down over his pounding headache. The twins shouting alternately at him simply sounds like a cacophony to his ears. As if that isn’t enough, he topples forward as his nausea grows worse.

“Why are you so loud so early, children?” asks a sleepy voice from inside the coffin. Rei emerges, eyes only half opened.

“Sakuma-senpai, Oogami-senpai is…”

At the mention of Koga’s name, Rei’s eyes open wide. His lethargic attitude suddenly vanishes as he’s immediately by Koga’s side. Hinata scoots over to give him space.

With his hands on Koga’s waist and arm, Rei helps support his body. Koga sags forward, his face buried on his senior’s chest. His forehead hits Rei’s neck. The sheer temperature of it alarms Rei. He puts a hand on Koga’s face—it’s disturbingly hot—and puts his forehead against Koga’s. Even without a thermometer, Rei knows it’s a terrible fever.

“You’re sick. Why didn’t you go home?” Rei asks him with a deep frown.

“I’m fine,” Koga says, before his traitorous body goes into a coughing fit. Rei’s hold on his waist unconsciously tightens. Koga exhales before adding with bated breath, “The paperwork. And practice too.”

Rei sighs. “I’m not that evil to let a sick person work like that, you know. Besides,” he pulls Koga closer so he can rest his head on Rei’s chest, “paperwork is my job. You don’t have to do anything for me.”

The fact that Koga remains silent despite obviously having things to retort back to him worries Rei even further. Koga’s quick, hot breath against his skin is the only thing that assures him that Koga’s still there.

Rei sighs. He turns to the twins who have been eyeing them warily and tells them, “If Adonis-kun and Kaoru-kun comes, tell them practice is cancelled today. You two can head home now, too. I’m bringing Wanko home, don’t wait up.”

“Wha—” Koga looks ready to protest, but his words are cut short when Rei suddenly puts his hands underneath his back and knees and stands up, carrying Koga with him. Koga instinctively reaches out his hand to prevent himself from toppling over. He ends up gripping Rei’s shoulder tightly.

“Aoi-kun, would you mind getting Wanko’s bag? Yeah, just sling it over my arm,” Rei asks. Hinata is quick to comply. “I’m off now. Lock the room when you’re done, alright? I left the key in the drawer.”

“Okay~” the twins reply in unison. “Take care, Oogami-senpai!”

Koga only manages a hoarse, “Yeah,” before another coughing fit hits him. Rei immediately walks out of the room. Koga inhales deeply before speaking again. “I can walk, y’know.”

“Sure, if you call wobbling like a 2-year-old walking,” Rei replies.

Koga frowns. “This is goddamn embarrassing,” he says again, quieter.

“I’ll take embarrassing over you passing out on the road anytime,” Rei says, and it shuts Koga this time.

Needless to say, their current display draws attention from every pair of eyes they come across. Rei couldn’t care less. He can feel the heat radiating off Koga. With every puff of breath, Rei’s urgency to let Koga rest increases. He’s eternally grateful that Koga had moved to a place close to their school.

Koga’s apartment is only a few blocks away from Yumenosaki’s school ground. It’s located on a lesser known part of the city, thus the quiet neighborhood. There are only a couple of people out on the road, and none of them pay the couple a second glance.

The apartment Koga’s living in is considered high-end in the district. They have a lift, for example, which makes Rei’s job much easier. He may be strong, despite his constant whining of the sun and all, but carrying Koga is not an easy task for his muscle. He’s definitely going to have to massage his arms later.

“Put me down,” Koga asks when they’re in front of his door. Despite his reluctance, Rei does as he’s asked. He slowly puts Koga down, mindful not to jostle him. He makes sure Koga isn’t going to fall before giving him some space.

Koga fishes his apartment key from his school bag. He opens the door and lets Rei enter first. The hallway is dark, save for the faint light coming from the dining room at the end of the hallway. Rei fumbles a bit with the light switch.

“Woof!”

As if on cue, Leon comes running from Koga’s room. Rei crouches down to pet him. Leon is ecstatic to get the belly rub he deserves.

“I know you’re happy to see your master, cute Doggie, but Wanko is currently sick, so I need you to be a good boy and let him rest,” Rei says to him. Leon barks back, his tail wagging excitedly behind him.

“Hi, Leon,” Koga says quietly. He strokes Leon’s head gently. As if understanding his owner’s condition, his bark quietens. He looks up at Koga and whines. Koga smiles and picks him up for a hug. “I’ll be okay. Now, be good and wait in your bed, okay?”

Leon bumps his head against Koga’s jaw gently before leaping off Koga’s hand and running into Koga’s room. Koga leans against a wall and stands up. Rei is by his side in a second. He’s tempted to offer carrying Koga again, but Koga growls about his room being _literally just a few feet away, you damn vampire, are you making fun of me_ , so he decides against it.

Koga’s room is filled with Koga’s scent. It’s there in every corner. Rei smells it, from the strong scent from Koga’s bed to the lingering touch Koga left on his desk. Inhaling deeply calms Rei more than he can describe.

“Don’t sniff, it’s gross,” Koga warns him, though his words lose their usual bite. Rei only grins.

“Where do you keep your meds?” Rei asks after tucking Koga to bed.

Koga snuggles under his paw-patterned blanket, which Rei thinks is cute, trying to find a comfortable position, before answering, “There, second drawer from the bottom.”

Rei goes to retrieve the first-aid box and comes back with an extra pack of tissue. Koga manages a half smile as his gratitude before sneezing. Rei watches him in sympathy as he prepares Koga’s medicine. He realizes a bit belatedly, though, that he has no idea what to give Koga. He rarely gets sick, after all, which is ironic with how much he complains about having a weak body.

As if sensing his dilemma, Koga pipes up, “Just get me chlorpheniramine and dextrometh—ah, I mean, the green and the red bottle. And my thermometer.”

Rei fumbles a bit with the medicines, a bit thrown by Koga’s fluent pronunciation. He realizes that Koga probably has taken his medicines so often whenever pollen season comes that he can blurt out their names without a second thought.

Koga quietly thanks Rei as he hands him the thermometer. Rei thinks that his junior is far more subdued when he’s sick. It’s a good thing except that he hates seeing how miserable Koga is with the fever sticking to his skin. He watches as Koga puts the thermometer on his mouth while his hands open the medicine bottle.

“That’s—38.7 0C is dangerous, isn’t it? Should I take you to the doctor?” Rei asks worriedly when he sees the numbers displayed on the thermometer.

Koga coughs again, further worrying Rei. “It’s fine. It happens when I don’t take my meds on time,” he says. When he sees Rei unconvinced, he explains, “My doctor says to take the meds and wait a day. If the fever persists, then I’m going to the hospital.”

“If you say so,” Rei says, though he still frowns.

“Anyway, can you get the Tylenol?” Koga asks.

Rei rummages through the first-aid box again. He hands the bottle to Koga. Koga downs the pills with the help of a glass of water. Almost immediately, Koga sags into his bed. His breath comes out in hot, puffed air. On instinct, Rei places his hand on Koga’s head and rubs it gently.

“Wha’ ya doin’?” Koga asks.

“Rest, Koga,” Rei says instead, and it takes Koga a second to register that Rei is calling him by his name. It shuts him up. Koga closes his eyes and breathes out. Rei doesn’t stop stroking Koga’s head until he’s sure Koga’s too close to sleep to open his eyes again.

The black-haired boy gets out of the room to find towel to make a cool compress. Leon follows him outside, bumping against his leg. Rei is reminded that Koga probably hasn’t fed Leon. He beckons the corgi to follow him. Leon jiggles down the hallway to show Rei where Koga keeps his food. Rei praises him before rewarding him with a bowl full of dog food. Leon happily chomps down on his meal.

“I’m gonna go take care of your master first, now. Finish your food then go back to your bed, alright?” Rei tells him. Leon barks his agreement. Rei smiles and ruffles the corgi’s fur. “Such a smart boy,” he praises him again.

Rei finds a small towel. He fills a bowl with cool water and takes it to Koga’s room. Koga is still sleeping. His face is significantly redder with his fever and he’s sweating a lot. Rei soaks the towel in water before placing the compress to Koga’s forehead. He knows it won’t help much, but he hopes it’ll make Koga’s sleep more comfortable.

The next hour is spent cleaning the place. It isn’t too much of a hassle considering Koga’s place is very tidy. He just needs to clean Leon’s bowl and puts Koga’s uniform in the laundry. He changes the cool compress a couple more times. The lack of activity makes him sleepy again.

“Koga,” Rei calls out while sitting next to Koga’s sleeping figure. The word tastes somewhat foreign in his mouth. It’s weird, really, considering it hasn’t even been a full year since he stopped calling Koga with his name. Rei exhales loudly when he’s reminded of the reason.

Rei traces the length of Koga’s fingers. Gently, he entwines their fingers together. Koga’s palm is hot and clammy, but Rei simply doesn’t care. It’s been so long— _too long_ —since he gets to touch Koga so intimately like this. “Koga,” he says again, softer, “I love you, Koga.”

The sleeping Koga remains blissfully unaware of Rei’s confession. Rei laughs bitterly to himself. He brings Koga’s hand to his lips and kisses it. “What I’d do for you to know that,” he whispers into seams of Koga’s skin.

The tick-tock of the clock lulls Rei into his slumber despite his awkward sitting position. Afternoon melts quietly into the dark of night.

“Mmh.” Koga rouses awake slowly. His head pounds and his throat feels like death, but he thinks he’ll manage. He sits up and tries to blink the sleepiness away. It takes him a moment to register someone holding his hand.

“Ah,” he says in a low voice. Koga’s eyes soften in fondness. He murmurs, testing the waters, “Sakuma-senpai.”

Koga blames it on his fever-inflicted brain, but he feels so close to crying. He tries again; “Sakuma-senpai,” rolling out of his tongue, each syllable stronger than its predecessor. “Sakuma-senpai, Sakuma-senpai, Sakuma-senpai.”

“I’ve missed you,” Koga breathes out as if he’s been holding a supernova. Those quietly whispered words explode in repressed emotions. Memories flash before his eyes; ones of good old times when the most worrisome thing is if he gets to hear Sakuma-senpai’s praise again today. Koga chokes on the sobs threatening to spill.

He basks in the melancholy, and persevere.

In the end, Leon saves him. The worried dog jumps over to his lap and whines. Koga smiles and hugs his dearest companion. Not a tear shed, he thinks, not today.

With his left hand carrying Leon, Koga gets out of bed and takes a spare blanket from his closet. He’s too sick to try to carry Rei to bed, so he has to be satisfied with just covering Rei with the blanket. It’d be awful if the two of them ends up bedridden.

“Did the vampire bastard feed you already?” Koga asks Leon. The corgi nuzzles Koga’s jaw in contentment. Koga chuckles. “I guess it’s a yes.”

Leon leaps off Koga when they’re in the kitchen. Koga gets a glass of hot water before putting on his apron and mask. Leon circles around his legs like a clingy child. Koga ruffles him one more time before telling him, “I’m gonna cook for a bit. Don’t be too noisy or you’ll wake up the vampire bastard.”

Koga gets to work quickly. He makes a simple rice porridge with soup like what his mother used to make. Little Koga reacted worse to his pollen allergy, to the point where he had to be hospitalized during the worst days. Back then, he wouldn’t eat anything other than his mother’s porridge. It has become a habit, Koga supposes, to eat that when he’s sick. This is the first time his mother doesn’t make him porridge when he’s sick. Koga begins to miss her. Living away from his parents has its drawbacks after all.

The old clock on the wall chimes, telling Koga that it’s 7pm already. Koga is reminded of Rei. It’s already dark outside. Koga considers the pros and cons of him staying over. “I should probably make dinner,” he mumbles.

Dinner is sandwich. Koga would like to serve something more sophisticated, despite his inner denial, but he’s too tired to make anything more. Sandwiches would have to suffice. He’s totally going to kick Rei’s ass if he complains.

Rei is still sleeping when Koga returns to his room. “Seriously, how long can you sleep, old man,” Koga grumbles. He checks Rei’s temperature, making sure he didn’t catch his fever, and breathes in relief when it’s normal.

“Oi, vampire bastard,” Koga calls, shaking Rei gently, “wake up and eat. Don’t you go dying on me, I’ve already had too much in my hand.”

“Five minutes,” Rei replies quietly.

“Don’t fuck with me, oi! Wake up, dinner’s ready,” Koga says louder.

Rei finally cracks open his eyes. “Wanko?” he mumbles, still disoriented from sleep. He’s wide awake the next second, standing up so suddenly that the blanket falls off him.

“Dinner’s ready. Sorry it’s nothin’ fancy,” Koga tells him.

“Dinner? Oh, I fell asleep—why didn’t you wake me up?” Rei fusses.

“It’s fine, you’re tired anyway. Anyway, it’s late. You can stay over if you want. I’ve got an extra futon.” Koga smirks behind his mask. “You can sleep without your coffin, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rei stumbles, looking taken aback.

Rei follows Koga to the dining room. Leon is lying on one of the chair. Koga picks him up and puts him on his lap so he can sit. “Sandwich is fine, right? Don’t start whining that it doesn’t suit your old teeth or somethin’, ‘kay?” Koga says to Rei.

“It’s okay,” Rei answers. “Besides, you’re—you should’ve woken me up. You’re sick, you shouldn’t move around too much.”

“What kinda weak ass do you take me for?” Koga replies nonchalantly.

Rei only sighs at his junior’s stubbornness. He knows Koga will have a thousand replies to his protests so he sits down and takes the sandwich Koga has made for him. He stops before taking a bite when he remembers; “Have you eaten anything?”

“I had porridge earlier,” Koga tells him.

“Good,” Rei says. “Don’t forget the meds.”

Koga doesn’t need to be told. He downs his pills with the help of a glass of water. Leon’s butt jiggles as he follows Koga across the room to the sink. Rei stuffs the last piece of his sandwich before he stands next to his junior and takes the dirty plate from his hands.

“Hey!” Koga protests, but Rei shushes him.

“Rest. I’m gonna wash the dishes, and if I don’t see you on your bed after I’m done, there will be consequences. I’m serious.”

Rei adds a stern gaze as extra measure and Koga concedes, albeit petulantly. “Make sure Wanko does what he’s told,” Rei tells Leon. Koga rolls his eyes at that.

With his hands busy washing the plates, Rei is absorbed in his thoughts. It’s getting pretty late, and while he has no problems of just coming home now, Koga did offer him to stay over and Rei would be lying if he says his heart didn’t leap at that. Not that Rei wants to take advantage of the sick Koga, of course. Rei simply likes being near Koga. Despite his rambunctiousness, Koga’s presence grounds Rei; he serves as a link for Rei and the outside world that expects too much and gives too little, and he’s always there when Rei feels that everything has become too overwhelming. He can’t say that out loud without embarrassing himself, though, so he keeps the thought to himself.

Rei shakes his head lightly, telling himself to focus on the matter at hand. To stay over or not. “Decision, decision,” he mumbles, followed with a dramatic sigh.

When he goes into Koga’s room, Rei expects the silver-haired boy to ignore his order, so he’s pleasantly surprised when he sees Koga relaxed on his bed with a book on top of Leon. The corgi, too, has been such a good boy, lying still on Koga’s lap as to not jostle his master while he’s reading.

“I wouldn’t peg you as the reading type,” Rei comments.

Koga flinches at his senior’s voice. He looks up, annoyance clear on his face. “You should wear a bell or something,” he retorts back. Rei only chuckles. Koga huffs and folds the edge of the current page he’s reading.

“You don’t have to stop because of me, you know.” Rei frowns when he notices. Koga puts down his book anyway.

“It’s fine, I’m finished with the chapter anyway,” Koga tells him. “Besides, do you wanna go home or what? Because I gotta prepare the futon first if you wanna sleep.”

“Ah,” Rei mulls over it. He ends up saying, a bit hesitantly, “Is it okay if I stay over?”

Koga unexpectedly giggles at that. Rei worries that the drug maybe made him a little high. “What’re you sayin’? It’s me, no need to be all proper and shit. ‘course you can stay over. No one’s here anyway.”

Without waiting for Rei’s reply, Koga gets up and gets the extra futon from his cabinet. Rei hovers behind him, ready to catch him if he wobbles. Koga shoots him a look that says _I’m fine, will you chill_ , but Rei is not risking it.

Koga unfolds the futon right next to his bed. Rei raises an eyebrow at the distance but decides to not comment about it.

“Ah,” Koga says to himself.

“What?”

“I forgot you don’t really sleep at this hour.”

That’s true, although it’s less about the whole vampire persona he uses and more about his nap already replenishing his energy, but Rei wonders how Koga knows about that. As far as he’s concerned, he’s never slept with Koga before—no innuendos intended.

“That’s fine. Go sleep, I can watch over you this way,” Rei says.

That teases a faint blush on Koga’s cheeks. It’s a rare sight, but Rei finds it the most stunning when Koga’s face is adorned with a rosy hue.

“Don’t say stupid stuff,” Koga mumbles. Rei’s smile widens.

“Anyway, have you checked your temperature again? Any more medicine to take?”

Koga reaches out for his thermometer at that. “38.2 0C. I’m good to go,” he tells Rei before putting his thermometer back.

Koga gets ready to go to bed before he looks up. “Oh, and,” he hesitates for a moment before turning to face Rei, his face redder than before, “thanks for taking care of me.”

His voice is so low that Rei needs a second to decipher what Koga just said. When he does, he can’t help the grin breaking on his face. It’s been so long since Koga thanks him outright—which is mostly his fault, Rei realizes—and it feels good. It reminds him of the sparkly-eyed first year who looks at him like he hung the stars in the sky.

“It’s my job to take care of my favorite child, isn’t it,” Rei says as he ruffles Koga’s hair. Koga looks at him like he wants to say something back, but he ends up closing his eyes and leaning into his senior’s touch. Rei can almost see the imaginary tail wagging behind Koga and he stifles a laugh. “Okay, now go to sleep. You need it.”

Koga nods and pulls his blanket to cover his body. Leon jumps and nuzzles his master, reminding him that he’s still there. Koga lets the corgi lick his face before telling him, “I’m sick, Leon, so sleep on your bed for tonight, okay?”

Leon whines and licks Koga’s face again. “I know you wanna sleep with me, big boy, but I don’t want you getting sick too. We’ll sleep together again tomorrow.”

“Wanko is right. Why don’t you sleep with me tonight?” Rei chirps in, rubbing Leon’s head to divert his attention.

“You don’t have to, y’know,” Koga says.

“And pass up the chance of cuddling with this good boy all night? Atrocious.” Rei fakes a gasp and Koga rolls his eyes. He does give Leon to Rei, though, so the effort is worth it.

Leon ends up snuggled comfortably under Rei’s blanket. Koga watches his dog with unbelievable fondness. Rei thinks it’s the most beautiful thing ever, but then again, he finds Koga beautiful every time.

“Well, I’m gonna sleep now. Don’t stay up too late,” Koga tells him. Rei smiles and nods. Koga flushes a bit before timidly smiling back. Rei needs to keep himself in check before he envelopes Koga in a bear hug.

Koga passes out quickly. Rei figures he must be drained. Rei rubs his silver hair gently. He knows he’s not one to talk, but Koga gives himself less credit than he deserves. Rei is reminded of Keito’s words, of how Koga’s tendency to stay in the present and not stuck in his past and how it saved him. It probably saves both of them. Rei didn’t say anything to Keito back then, but he knows that his friend was right.

“Maybe it’s my turn now to try to save you,” Rei whispers to the silence enveloping Koga’s room. The steady rise and fall of Koga’s chest is enough answer for him.

Rei holds Koga’s hand and kisses his knuckles before he lies down on his futon and thinks about the illuminating light of cyalumes, the cheers of people screaming his name, and a bright smile by his side that pushes him through another day.

 

* * *

 

Morning comes with sleep-crusted eyes and stinky breath. Koga sits on his bed, his hair ruffled beyond comprehension, and blinks the weariness from beneath his eyelids. He turns to his right to find Leon and finds the one and only Sakuma Rei sleeping ramrod straight. Koga finds it eerily hilarious knowing Rei probably sleeps like that in his coffin too. He then notices a flock of brown fur popping out from Rei’s blanket and warmth bursts in his chest.

“Leon,” Koga calls as he softly ruffles his dog’s head, mindful not to jostle Rei. Leon stirs but quickly goes back to sleep. Rei, the heavy sleeper that he is, doesn’t even register Koga’s voice. Koga lets the both of them sleep.

Koga puts the back of his hand against his forehead and frowns. It isn’t as bad as yesterday, but it still feels warm. He wonders if he should take a day off. Exerting himself when he’s on his way to recovery is only going to worsen his condition, and he’d rather not end up in a hospital with his mom shaking her head over her only child’s stubbornness.

Koga still does his usual morning routine, though. He brushes his teeth and comb his hair before preparing breakfast. He makes rolled egg and rice for Rei and heats up yesterday’s leftover soup for himself. Leon already has his own treats on his favorite bowl.

When he walks into his room to wake Rei, Koga is suddenly struck by the realization of how awfully domestic the whole situation is. He can feel his face burn in embarrassment. “Don’t be stupid, I’m just waking him up like usual,” Koga mutters to himself, but even he can sense the lie. He’s clearly overthinking this.

“Sakuma-senpai,” Koga calls quietly before smacking his mouth. He forgets for a second that Rei is “vampire bastard” now. Blame his lack of coffee. “V-vampire bastard! Wake up! You gotta go to school!”

Koga is half grateful that Rei is so hard to wake up because that means he didn’t hear the slipup, but also half annoyed because _how can someone sleep like a log?_ He hopes there will never be a disaster happening while Rei is asleep because he’d definitely die.

Finally, Rei cracks his eyes open. As soon as the red eyes land on him, Koga feels the self-consciousness return and immediately stands up. “Come on, wake up. Breakfast is ready. Hurry and eat or you’ll be late,” he says one more time.

Rei wakes up like he’s just been dead for a hundred years and forgets how his limbs work. Koga watches in exasperation as his senior gets up and zombie-walks into his bathroom. “Oh, your brush is the red one. It’s new, don’t worry,” Koga tells him.

Once he’s done brushing his teeth and generally making himself look more presentable, Rei joins Koga on the dining room. He eats quietly; sleepiness still hangs around him. Koga doesn’t nag him for that. He still feels bad for making Rei take care of him until he needs to stay over.

“Um,” Koga starts. Rei looks up, interested. “I don’t think I’ll go to school today. I’m afraid my fever will get worse if I do, so I think I’ll take a day off to get rid of it for real.”

“Good,” Rei says. Koga looks offended, so he quickly adds, “I mean, good that you care more about himself. Rest well today. We’ll make up for yesterday’s practice tomorrow, and I need you in shape for that.”

“Oh…”

Rei smiles watching Koga get flustered. He can never get tired of him.

“A-anyway, you should go now. You keep skipping classes! What if you repeat another year, huh?” Koga scolds.

Rei grins. “Then I’ll have another year to spend with my beloved junior.”

“W-what stupid shit are you spouting, damn vampire bastard!” Koga flails wildly in embarrassment. Rei laughs harder than he should have. He ends up having to flee the room before Koga hits him with a spoon.

Rei returns to Koga’s room to get his bag. Koga is waiting in the front porch with Leon clinging to his side.

“Ah, I forgot my tie,” Rei says when he’s done tying his shoelaces. He’s just about to take off his shoes again when Koga tells him to wait there and rushes back to his room. Rei smiles fondly, telling Leon, “Your master is simply the cutest, isn’t he?”

Leon barks his agreement, and Rei chuckles again.

“How are you able to live this long is beyond me,” Koga grumbles once he’s back with Rei’s green tie.

Before Rei can say anything, though, Koga is already looping the loose fabric around Rei’s collar. Koga’s breath feels warm against Rei’s neck when he quietly tells him, “Don’t move around.” Rei notices the redness at the tip of Koga’s ears and the faint thumping of both their heartbeats. Koga runs his hand across the tie once he’s done, but he stays in place.

“Wanko?” Rei calls out, his voice softer than usual.

Koga breathes out again, his breath intermingling with the air that Rei inhales. He then looks up, staring at Rei’s red irises, and whispers, “Itterasshai.*”

Rei holds his breath before a smile worms its way on his face. He puts a hand on Koga’s shoulder—a reassuring weight on his skin—and replies, “Ittekimasu.*”

Rei leaves with a swing of the door, and almost immediately, Koga sags to the floor. He stifles the groan leaving his mouth with his hand before covering his face. He knows the heat radiating off him is less his fever and more the absolute embarrassment. He’s not sure how he’ll be able to face Rei tomorrow.

He doesn’t regret doing that, though.

Koga stares at his hand and relishes the tingling on his skin where it touched Rei. Rei’s voice when he left rings in his ears, playing a loop on his brain. Despite his pink cheeks, Koga can’t help the smile blooming on his face.

They’re not there yet, but maybe the both of them are already one step closer to happiness than they have realized.

**Author's Note:**

> * I purposefully didn't translate "Ittekimasu" and "Itterasshai" because I don't want the purpose to get lost in translation. Koga saying "Itterasshai" doesn't just mean "Be safe" but carries a deeper sense of "I know you're going but I have faith that you will be back home safely (to me)." Likewise, Rei's "Ittekimasu" has a meaning of "I am going but know that I will definitely go back home (to you)." Japanese language is beautiful and I think translating it to English would lessen the impact of these words.
> 
> um, so. yes. my first reikoga fic. why did i dare write this i have no idea. so, this is like, out of character and mainly my headcanons about how they'd interact beyond the "i'll kill you, vampire bastard!!!" "wanko is so cute, let's take a walk" interaction they have. oh, and this is 100% self-indulgent so please bear with me.
> 
> on a more serious note, i'm not a native speaker so i'm sure there are grammatical errors that i missed and was too lazy to correct back, so please forgive me. (i'm sure this author's note also has errors lmao why am i like this.) feel free to call me out on it. or if you have something to say, like maybe why i have such cliche headcanons, the comment section is winking at you~
> 
> lastly, i hope you enjoyed my fic. thanks for reading!


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